I recently returned from a trip to Guangzhou, China. I was there for two weeks doing commissioned work shooting portraits, but also used the time there to work on my travel portfolio and street photography. I plan on doing a few other major blog posts about this amazing trip, but until then, please have a look at some of what I’ve shot while there.

The oldest barbershop in Guangzhou. It was far removed from the city, so it may have been the oldest in Southern China, I can’t recall.

I stumbled upon some folks singing and playing classical Canton music. There were a lot of unique sounds I’ve never heard and it sucked me in. There was an erhu, which is a versatile fiddle type of instrument, also known as a Chinese violin. There was a banhu, which is a two stringed fiddle, as well as a set of drums, keys, and another vocalist.

Here’s a street vendor selling Santol, which is a Southern Chinese tropical fruit that’s good for digestion. People were generally okay with allowing me take formal portraits of them on the street. The older the person, the less likelihood of them wanting to engage. I find just smiling and appearing like a professional is the best approach. Either that or shoot really quick and walk on.

A man walking past street dogs. I shot this very close to a military base. We were warned not to take pictures in the area, but sometimes when a scene presents itself, you can’t help but act.

My friend Mike who lives in Guangzhou brought me around his old stomping grounds. This was an old street where he spent much of his youth.

One of the friendliest people I met in China and also one of the most talented photographers I’ve met there. He shared tales and show pictures of trips he’s taken across the country documenting soybean fields.